Chapter 1: The Black City

[Enoch]

Suen wanders through the small group, querying each of them individually. He doesn't hold out hope for a skilled healer, but he hopes to find someone who has worked with animals, or has experience with setting bones and the like. He seems distracted, worried; his questions clearly occupy the least of his attention. I think God has His eyes on me...and He is not happy with my actions.

3D (1D Circles + 1D Affiliation + 1D Reputation) vs. Ob 4 (Ob 5 if the Believer trait counts against me):
Circles: [_3d6s4]=(4, 6, 1)=2=2

[hidetzugu]

Suen wanders through the small group, querying each of them individually. He doesn't hold out hope for a skilled healer, but he hopes to find someone who has worked with animals, or has experience with setting bones and the like. He seems distracted, worried; his questions clearly occupy the least of his attention. I think God has His eyes on me...and He is not happy with my actions.

3D (1D Circles + 1D Affiliation + 1D Reputation) vs. Ob 4 (Ob 5 if the Believer trait counts against me):
Circles: [_3d6s4]=(4, 6, 1)=2=2

(Following up the conversation with Finnithir)
Lilly taps Suen on the shoulder hip - "I don't understand why you keep those sad souls around if they don't have any skill to speak off... Help me YOURSELF and Farouk with Nunesh":

Being Learned Field Dressing(+2D Help from Farouk; +1D Help from Suen) :

@Nutesh:
+2D to your Health roll for not having -1D to all rolls when you wake up (+1D if Farouk vetoes his help dice)

[VVhite-Crow]

When Lilly steps back from Nutesh, having done what she could, Farouk and the others present an improvised sled, that they built from one of the cultists tents, ropes and thick blankets.
"I'm exhausted as you are, but I think we should move." Farouk looks from one face to another. "Setting up camp here will be difficult. If we make it to the outskirts of the city we can use the ruins for shelter and maybe even find something to eat. The old river course may be dry but the ground water is high and a few plants manage to sprout between the debris."

I hope I don't take too much control of PCs and NPCs here. I perceived the situation, as if we agree to move on to the next scene and took the reins.

[Marullus]

Heal Ob 2: [1d6]=6 [1d6]=5 [1d6]=2 [1d6]=6

After several hours Nutesh awakens, likely at the new camp site.

"Don't... don't fight the Jackal. Ku-Aya says it won't harm us unless we fight it..." he says groggily.

[Eric.D]

The party gathers together, hesitant and uncertain, but the resolve in Lilly's voice galvanizes them into action and soon Nutesh is on a sled, being drug by Bassam, and the group is once again on the move. As the stars set and the sun rises, the party finds itself once more at the Black City of Telkomel, its crumbling towers and soaring walls an intimidating, uncanny sight. The group, exhausted from the long night, begins to make camp, Farouk and Mekertu starting a fire with dung collected from Bassam, the Church of the Black Citadel setting up tents, Urkazzar happily caring for the pack animals.

Farouk:

As you prepare the fire to make food, Mekertu, squatting next to you, asks, in the direct manner of a man who has lived long in the desert and away from people, "Do you think he's alive? After all this time? I have seen no sign of him when I visited."


Suen-Magir:
Your sister, pleased, spends the rest of the night quietly, humming a discordant tune under her breath. When you arrive, she helps the Church make camp. Though she looks busy, and frequently takes time to instruct the members of the Church in their tasks, she does less work than anybody else present. Of course she does, she is the High Priestess of the God. Nobody objects, and her followers are obsequious as she directs them.

As you wrestle with a pole for one of the tents, she approaches, "What plans do you have to impress our group here? It would be good to win over powerful allies." Her eyes dart hungrily at Nutesh, still out cold, and at Lilly and Finnithir, talking quietly together.

She of course wants you to use your magic. She always does. The feeling from earlier still hasn't left, though it is distant now. Somebody else is peering out through your eyes, rather than you watching them through them. Is it really a part of you? She wants you to master your magic, and you do, too. It is part of you, and you control yourself, don't you? But a fear grows in your mind. Will using the magic master it? Or will the magic master you?

Lilly:
Coming up to the walls, you study them closely. You aren't an expert in fortifications, not by a long shot, but you have seen many a strong dwarven hold, with their battlements, barbicans, machicolations and switchbacks, and you find yourself noticing that this ancient city is designed to be defensible. Towers rise on the walls, and the walls are fortified against assault. Machicolations protrude, and, though worn down, you can make out the crenelations used by long-dead defenders. If there is anything in this city, as Nutesh has promised, they will have many a place to hide, many a place to assault your group while you are vulnerable.

But beyond that, you are drawn once again to the strange stone. Where did it come from? You have seen nothing like it nearby. Did they quarry a mountain to build this? Or is there something else? Maybe some source inside the city? You daydream of ancient mines under the city, or meteor stone, all the strange and wonderful possibilities. You chide yourself for being foolish. There's probably a perfectly mundane answer to this question.

But despite the chiding, the daydreams continue until camp is made.

You will note that while I have set the camp in motion, I have not determined where it is. You may decide as a group if you are camping inside or outside the city itself. Demons roam the city, Jackals roam without, so it seems that all options are unsafe.

[VVhite-Crow]

As you prepare the fire to make food, Mekertu, squatting next to you, asks, in the direct manner of a man who has lived long in the desert and away from people, "Do you think he's alive? After all this time? I have seen no sign of him when I visited."

It takes a few heartbeats before Farouk answers, still gazing into the fire: "Almost half my life has past since I've seen him last... You, Akhom, Herzebuh, and everyone else I asked tells me that there is no sign of him... that he most likely is dead..." He stokes the fire with a stick and after a while continus, "But it seems that hope is as strong as these walls... or maybe even stronger." edited in later:"And even if they all died I want to know what happened to them and make sure that nothing alike will happen again because of the red diamond." Farouk eyes manage to pull away from the fire and he turns to Mekertu: "What do you think? Is Nutesh right about it? Is it in the structure he described?"edit end
When the fire is going Farouk pulls Nutesh's sled closer to it, starts brewing tea and sets up a place for himself to sleep.

After several hours Nutesh awakens, likely at the new camp site.

"Don't... don't fight the Jackal. Ku-Aya says it won't harm us unless we fight it..." he says groggily.

When Nutesh starts murmuring Farouk shuffles tiredly over to him. "Ku...Ku-Jala?... The Jackal is gone, Nutesh. You are safe. We made it to the city." He helps Nutesh out of the blankets and to sit up, "I'm glad you're conscious again. I can make you some tea if you want. It tastes a little unusual but my aljada always said it would be better for your stomach, if brewed above camels shit."

[Eric.D]

It takes a few heartbeats before Farouk answers, still gazing into the fire: "Almost half my life has past since I've seen him last... You, Akhom, Herzebuh, and everyone else I asked tells me that there is no sign of him... that he most likely is dead..." He stokes the fire with a stick and after a while continus, "But it seems that hope is as strong as these walls... or maybe even stronger." edited in later:"And even if they all died I want to know what happened to them and make sure that nothing alike will happen again because of the red diamond." Farouk eyes manage to pull away from the fire and he turns to Mekertu: "What do you think? Is Nutesh right about it? Is it in the structure he described?"edit end
When the fire is going Farouk pulls Nutesh's sled closer to it, starts brewing tea and sets up a place for himself to sleep.

"The dead never leave us, so say She Who Knows the Signs," murmurs Mekertu, "Maybe it is hope, and maybe it is the voice of your father, calling out to you."

He bows his head in acknowledgment of the dead, a sign of appeasement.

"I do not stay in the city, and I do not go at night," he shrugs when you ask about what Nutesh spoke of, "There are things living in there, I have seen sign of them. Stones moved, carvings scratched, strange tracks in the dust... But what they do or where they go, who can say?"

He peers at the fire, blowing to help it catch better, and inhales smoke that leaves him hacking for a moment. When he has recovered, he continues.

"The place he describes, it is the Old Temple, so my father called it. A temple to what, I do not know, but the golden statue, that is a thing like a temple would have. I have seen the temples in Panirudan, they have statues of stone inlaid with gold, painted with the finest pigments, and scented with ground flowers. Only a place made for the gods could be so rich."

[Marullus]

Nutesh nods and accepts Farouk's tea, sipping it slowly. "I am afraid I am left weakened today... hopefully it fades. I wish only that I had been able to discuss the Jackal's desires. Instead nothing happened at all." He catches himself. "...but do not worry for it.
I visited Nether and have learned more that will be important in time." He sits up straighter and clears his throat. "There was wisdom in Ku-Aya's words. The jackal was not a foe, it just eluded my understanding. Perhaps not so with what we face aheadat the Old Temple. We must reach a buildingwithin to reast today, that i might study the runes carved thereon."

"The appearance of power is power itself" was the first lesson of Alagash. I will overcome my fear of these creatures so as to remain respected among the group.

He is knocked to one Forte and shaking trying to hold a tea cup - it takes deliberate effort to pursue this!

[VVhite-Crow]

Nutesh nods and accepts Farouk's tea, sipping it slowly. "I am afraid I am left weakened today... hopefully it fades. I wish only that I had been able to discuss the Jackal's desires. Instead nothing happened at all." He catches himself. "...but do not worry for it.
I visited Nether and have learned more that will be important in time." He sits up straighter and clears his throat. "There was wisdom in Ku-Aya's words. The jackal was not a foe, it just eluded my understanding. Perhaps not so with what we face aheadat the Old Temple. We must reach a buildingwithin to reast today, that i might study the runes carved thereon."

"The appearance of power is power itself" was the first lesson of Alagash. I will overcome my fear of these creatures so as to remain respected among the group.

He is knocked to one Forte and shaking trying to hold a tea cup - it takes deliberate effort to pursue this!

Farouk slowly shakes his head: "This Ku-Aya of yours might be wise, but if you ask me, the shaytans desire was mostly about killing us. Haven't you seen the beast?!" He takes the empty cup from Nutesh's shaking hands and carefully places it on the ground. "Try to find some more rest. At least that's what I'll do now. Battered up as you are, and without any light you'll have a hard time studying runes anyway. When the darkness begins to fade we will enter the city." Farouk shuffles back to his place by the fire, curls up by Bassam and falls asleep again, clutching his remaining belongings.
I hope someone is keeping watch. ^^' Farouk is exhausted to the bone from the last health test and will sleep as much as he can.

"The Jackal is a spirit. It seeks you and the desert man, because you can hear it."

I like to think that Farouk is the mentioned desert man!? He'll certainly listen, when Nutesh tells him, that Ku-Aya said that the demon was looking for both of them in particular.

[Enoch]

Suen goes to Nutesh's side and kneels, glancing back once at his sister. "You speak as if there is a particular building you wish to reach. Do you know where it is, or perhaps how to find it?"

He hesitates before lowering his voice and leaning in. "If you don't...I have...friends...I could ask for information. If this city is truly the dwelling-place of demons, the ilokusile spoken of in the legends...well, not friends, never friends--but I know those who might be able to show us a path."

[hidetzugu]

The group, exhausted from the long night, begins to make camp, Farouk and Mekertu starting a fire with dung collected from Bassam, the Church of the Black Citadel setting up tents, Urkazzar happily caring for the pack animals.
[...]
You will note that while I have set the camp in motion, I have not determined where it is. You may decide as a group if you are camping inside or outside the city itself. Demons roam the city, Jackals roam without, so it seems that all options are unsafe.

As discussed in Discord, I think the group would have been looking to rest somewhere they could not be seen form a distance, specially if we're making a fire. Perhaps a ruined warehouse in the outskirts of the city? he'd need some space to keep the Church concealed (feel free to ask for a roll if needed).

"I do not stay in the city, and I do not go at night," he shrugs when you ask about what Nutesh spoke of, "There are things living in there, I have seen sign of them. Stones moved, carvings scratched, strange tracks in the dust... But what they do or where they go, who can say?"

He peers at the fire, blowing to help it catch better, and inhales smoke that leaves him hacking for a moment. When he has recovered, he continues.

"The place he describes, it is the Old Temple, so my father called it. A temple to what, I do not know, but the golden statue, that is a thing like a temple would have. I have seen the temples in Panirudan, they have statues of stone inlaid with gold, painted with the finest pigments, and scented with ground flowers. Only a place made for the gods could be so rich."

Lilly sits with Farouk, Mekertu, Suen and the waking Nutesh.
"You come here only to pray out in front of She Who Knows the Signs, Mekertu? or do you enter any building?"
"I imagine the sun is your friend if you never leave its light, but all eyes are fixed on you from the shadows hoping for you to step into them." - Lilly raises her sight to the city through a crack in the ruined wall. - "Are we a demon now? Watching from the shadows... looking for movement... How many could there be out there? One? Or one army?"

Lilly sighs pensively for a couple of minutes staring at the city.
"No, we cannot use the sun my friend. Because eventually we'll have to step into the darkness and if we come from the light someone will be waiting."
She turns to face them, smirking. - "But once we have that diamond and something is chasing us, by all means run to the sun! Just not before!"

Nutesh nods and accepts Farouk's tea, sipping it slowly. "I am afraid I am left weakened today... hopefully it fades. I wish only that I had been able to discuss the Jackal's desires. Instead nothing happened at all." He catches himself. "...but do not worry for it.
I visited Nether and have learned more that will be important in time." He sits up straighter and clears his throat. "There was wisdom in Ku-Aya's words. The jackal was not a foe, it just eluded my understanding. Perhaps not so with what we face aheadat the Old Temple. We must reach a buildingwithin to reast today, that i might study the runes carved thereon."

"The appearance of power is power itself" was the first lesson of Alagash. I will overcome my fear of these creatures so as to remain respected among the group.

He is knocked to one Forte and shaking trying to hold a tea cup - it takes deliberate effort to pursue this!

I hope someone is keeping watch. ^^' Farouk is exhausted to the bone from the last health test and will sleep as much as he can.

"Good to know! I won't worry if you won't worry and it's time to get moving. No running into the sunlight with the diamond if we waste any more daytime!"
"Farouk!" - She prods him with her boot. - "Nap time is over, Nutesh is good enough to move."

"Now, this is a desert city in the shadow of the rocky mountains... Certainly at some point there was a Qanat to feed the city's thirst."
@Eric Maybe this would be a Wise roll.
"Even if is not maintained and dry now we should be able to get into the city through it.".
"... and that will let me know if the rock under this city is similar to what was used to construct it" - Lilly thinks to herself.
"Mekertu! Farouk! You're our guides, can you find us a way into the city Qanat?"

Suen goes to Nutesh's side and kneels, glancing back once at his sister. "You speak as if there is a particular building you wish to reach. Do you know where it is, or perhaps how to find it?"

He hesitates before lowering his voice and leaning in. "If you don't...I have...friends...I could ask for information. If this city is truly the dwelling-place of demons, the ilokusile spoken of in the legends...well, not friends, never friends--but I know those who might be able to show us a path."

"Some guiding faerie would be nice..." - Lilly scoots over to Suen, clinking her armour in the process. - "But don't forget you promised to make us harder to be heard, don't want you to over-extend like Nutesh over there."
She leans closer, lowering her voice. - "Also, what are we doing with your faithful tag-alongs over there? Maybe it is time for they to stay behind. It's gonna hard enough to keep your bare ass (for a dwarf, no mail equals no clothes) safe, I can't babysit all of them."

[Marullus]

As discussed in Discord, I think the group would have been looking to rest somewhere they could not be seen form a distance, specially if we're making a fire. Perhaps a ruined warehouse in the outskirts of the city? he'd need some space to keep the Church concealed (feel free to ask for a roll if needed).

This is the critical question. Nutesh's request is that we move into an outskirts building, as all buildings have runes, so we can stay the first day. He asks to study runes and recover.

If the group ignores that and looks for a dried sewer pipe, Nutesh will let his BITs cause him trouble by going without complaint.... at 1 Forte.

[VVhite-Crow]

As discussed in Discord, I think the group would have been looking to rest somewhere they could not be seen form a distance, specially if we're making a fire. Perhaps a ruined warehouse in the outskirts of the city? he'd need some space to keep the Church concealed (feel free to ask for a roll if needed).

Ah, I got you wrong. When you said "I want walls", I thought city walls. Sorry, my bad.
Buildings outside of the city could be another The City of Telkomel-wise test. Can I count on help from Mekertu for the roll? Sadly Farouk is still on +1Ob for perception based tests... Not that it mattered, but I missed that on the last test.

"Now, this is a desert city in the shadow of the rocky mountains... Certainly at some point there was a Qanat to feed the city's thirst."
@Eric Maybe this would be a Wise roll.
"Even if is not maintained and dry now we should be able to get into the city through it.".

I thought we would take a main gate. Farouk's Father entered through one, and Farouk wants to look for hints of what happened. (but he could just as good could have used the qanat) That paired with still being exhausted, Farouk isn't happy with Lilly's plans to keep going, and using another way into the city. If everyone (and especially MrHyde) is ok with more character-conflict I wouldn't mind making a scene out of this. We both have Beliefs on the line, and would make Artha either way.

[hidetzugu]

I'm always up for conflict!

from a meta perspective i seen Nutesh here practically begging to get into more trouble. I also have a relevant instinct to not be out in the open and ulterior motives related to the "dwarf likes rocks" belief

from a more 'in world' prespective, we did try to come here at dawn for a reason. Ok we lost ~4h because of the jackal... So I'm guessing it's roughly 10am rn... Waiting here puts us at risk of not being in the clear by nightfall

[Eric.D]

from a more 'in world' prespective, we did try to come here at dawn for a reason. Ok we lost ~4h because of the jackal... So I'm guessing it's roughly 10am rn... Waiting here puts us at risk of not being in the clear by nightfall

Just want to clarify in this thread, since it's possible not everyone has read the other post I made, the Jackal fight lost you maybe half an hour, since you put Nutesh on a sled and just kept moving. It is roughly 7-8AM now, as you finish making camp. It took about an hour to look around after arriving, and then you actually set up.

[hidetzugu]

Your precise location is quantum right now. The desire for a defensible location, inside or outside the city, must be satisfied with a Fortifications test, Ob 2. A failure indicates there is no suitable location, and you will have to camp in an open area. I will allow whoever makes that roll to choose the precise area, be it in or out of the city.

Ob 2 (doubled to 4) Being Learned Fortifications test:
5D Perception
+1D Careful (we're already delayed by carrying Nutesh)
+1D Suen's Perception Help (subject to veto)
+2D Farouk's Perception Help (subject to veto)

Success!

Lilly is mostly concerned with concealment, having a ruined building with cracks on the walls from which we can watch the city gate and main avenue without being seen ourselves, and (if the Schrödinger's qanat collapses in our favour) allows us to enter it without being out in the open

[Eric.D]

Cool! With the time penalty for Working Carefully, the time is now midmorning, roughly 9AM. Describe the structure you find that meets your needs. You can even throw in a guess or two about what it might have been back in the day!

[hidetzugu]

Cool! With the time penalty for Working Carefully, the time is now midmorning, roughly 9AM. Describe the structure you find that meets your needs. You can even throw in a guess or two about what it might have been back in the day!

It is an old stone Bazaar just on the turn of the road to the city gates. The outer walls are thick stone (now cracked at parts) to keep the cool in. There's little 'half-walls' and columns to separate the wares of different shopkeepers and the roof is partially collapsed

bazaar.png (758.04 KiB) Viewed 586 times

[VVhite-Crow]

"Farouk!" - She prods him with her boot. - "Nap time is over, Nutesh is good enough to move."

Abrubtly Farouk awakes. Wide eyed he looks around, his hands frantically searching for solid ground, "Shaytan! Nutesh! Where..." his babbel ebbs when he recognises the pillars around the patio and the familiar faces in the warm red light of the morning sun.

"Now, this is a desert city in the shadow of the rocky mountains... Certainly at some point there was a Qanat to feed the city's thirst."
@Eric Maybe this would be a Wise roll.
"Even if is not maintained and dry now we should be able to get into the city through it.".
"... and that will let me know if the rock under this city is similar to what was used to construct it" - Lilly thinks to herself.
"Mekertu! Farouk! You're our guides, can you find us a way into the city Qanat?"

Let's find out what kind of qanat we get:Schrödingers Qanat: The City of Telkomel-wise Ob2 + Ob1 for exhaustion: B2 Wise + 2D Help from Mekertu and Urkazzar [_4d6s4]=(1, 5, 2, 1)=1=1 Sorry Lilly...

Still half asleep Farouk listens to Lilly's plan, "A qanat?" his eyes dart over to Mekertu who slowly nods, Urkazzar absently humming next to him, "Sure, there is one we know of, but only the gods above and beyond know where it ends. Why don't we take the main gate? This way we can see our target and walk straight towards it."

[hidetzugu]

Still half asleep Farouk listens to Lilly's plan, "A qanat?" his eyes dart over to Mekertu who slowly nods, Urkazzar absently humming next to him, "Sure, there is one we know of, but only the gods above and beyond know where it ends. Why don't we take the main gate? This way we can see our target and walk straight towards it."

"Yep, and every demon, devil, imp, cat, dog and cockroach will be watching us stroll in. What odds do you reckon we'd have of strolling out if that's the case?"

Potential Statement of Purpose:
"Nah, we go in through the qanat so that no one see us enter the city, we leave some of these people here so that we stand out less, and we go now so that, if we have to, we can run through the sunny streets on the way back."